Weaving machine

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for selectively preparing, storing and presenting to a blowing nozzle any one of a plurality of different weft yarns, A storing device for drawing off and temporarily holding an intermediate length of one of the weft yarns cooperates with a guiding device having separate means for supporting in a rest position an intermediate portion of each of the weft yarns, Which is selectively movable into a plurality of positions in each of which an intermediate portion of one of the weft yarns is presented to the storing device, An auxiliary device is provided for selectively presenting the end of any one of the weft yarns to a blowing nozzle, and has means for receiving the end of each of the weft yarns in a rest position, and is selectively movable into a plurality of positions in each of which the end of one of the weft yarns is presented to the blowing nozzle. A mechanism connects the guiding device to the auxiliary device to cause the auxiliary device to present the end of a weft yarn to the blowing nozzle when the guiding device is moved into a position to present an intermediate portion of the same yarn to the storing device.

United States Patent [19] n D n et l- Dec. 10, 1974' [22] Filed':

[5 1 WEAVING MACHINE [75] Inventors: gornelis van Ilpnlt, Mortel;

Vermeulen, Geertjan, Deurne, both of Netherlands [73] Assignee: Riiti -te Strake B.V., Deurne,

- Netherlands Nov. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 418,365

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 215,481, Jan. 5,

1972, abandoned.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 8, 1971 Netherlands 7100266 [52] US. Cl 139/122 W, 139/122 R, 139/127 P [51] Int. Cl D03d 47/38 ['58] Field of Search 139/122 R, 122 W, 122 H, 139/125,126, 127 R, 127 P; 66/132 Switzerland 139/127 P Primary Examinerl'lenry S. Jaudon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Marshall & Yeasting [5 7] ABSTRACT An apparatus for selectively preparing, storing and presenting to a blowing nozzle any one of a plurality of different weft yarns, A storing device for drawing off and temporarily holding an intermediate length of one of the weft yarns cooperates with a guiding device having separate means for supporting in a rest position an intermediate portion of each of the weft yarns. Which is selectively movable into a plurality of positions in each of which an intermediate portion of one of the weft yarns is presented to the storing device, An auxiliary device is provided for selectively presenting the end of any one of the weft yarns to a blowing nozzle, and has means for receiving the end of each of the weft yarns in a rest position, and is selectively movable into a plurality of positions in each of which the end of one of the weft yarns is presented to the blowing nozzle. A mechanism connects the guiding device to the auxiliary device to cause the auxiliary device to present the end of a weft yarn to the blowing nozzle when the guiding device is moved into a position to present an intermediate portion of the same yarn to the storing device.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENIEUBEBII 01914 sum 1 or 4 FIG.1

SHEET 2 (IF 4 PATENTEU C I FIG.2

PATENTED DEC 1 74 SHEEI Q 0F 4 FIG.6

. WEAVING MACHINE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.

215,481 filed Jan. 5, 1972, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a weaving machine of the i SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention aims at providing the possibility to vary in such a weaving machine in a simple and quick manner the nature, e.g., the colour, of the weft.

The weaving machine according to the invention is characterized by a guiding device for a plurality of wefts arriving from separate supplies, said guiding device being selectively controllable such that each time a predetermined weft yarn is in an operative position relative to the weft preparing and storing device, said.

guiding device cooperates with an auxiliary device having for each weft yarn a rest place and which is controllable in dependency on the guiding device such that the rest place of that weft yarn is situated in an operative presenting position relative to the blowing nozzle, whenever the same weft yarn is brought by the guiding device in an operative position relative to the yarn preparing and storing device.

In a practical embodiment the guiding device comprises a rotatable supporting shaft extending transversely to the yarn preparing and storing device and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rest places extending along generating lines, for the different weft yarns, while. the auxiliary device is constituted by a sector shaped support rotatable with a shaft and having a plurality of auxiliary blowing nozzles constituting the rest places for the different weft yarns of the auxiliary device.

' According to a further feature of the invention the support-ing shaft of the guiding device and the sector shaped support for the auxiliary blowing nozzles are each reciprocally movable between two extreme angular positions.

The rest places around the supporting shaft of the guiding device are preferably each constituted by a pair of yarn eyelets positioned along a generating line, each of which is located at one end of the supporting shaft, the eyelets situated at the yarn discharge end of the supporting shaft guiding the yarns via a common yarn clamp to a distribution comb positioned adjacent to the shaft of the sector shaped support, on said support.

The control of the guiding device and the auxiliary device according to a program determined by the desired weaving pattern may take place in different ways as will be elucidated with reference to the drawings, in

. which a number of embodiments of the weaving machine according to the invention are shown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION'OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation of a portion of a weaving machine according to the invention as seen in the direction of the launching aperture of the main blowing nozzle;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the portion of the weaving machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side section taken on the line 3-3 in FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a modified embodiment in a section corresponding to that according to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an apparatus for the control of the guiding and auxiliary devices in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 6 is a diagram of an apparatus for the control of the guiding and auxiliary devices in the embodiment according to FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawing the reference number 1 indicates the main blowing nozzle which in known manner may be intermittently energized e.g., pneumatically, which nozzle is situated adjacent the weaving shed (not further shown) and is mounted on the end of a supporting beam 2 of inverted U-shaped cross-section forming part of the machine frame. The apparatus for supplying air intermittently to the blowing nozzle 1 is conventional and therefore will not be described, since it forms no part of the present invention.

Reference number 3 indicates the weft yarn preparing and storing device which in the embodiment shown comprises a tunnel formed by a flattened tube into which each time a loop shaped weft length is takenup by suction and/or blowing and subsequently it is presented to the main blowing nozzle 1. The apparatus for applying suction to the flattened tube 3 is conventional and forms no part of the present invention, and therefore will not be described.

In front of the entrance slot of the stationary tunnel 3 a yarn guiding device 4 is positioned, serving to bring each time a predetermined weft yarn of a plurality of weft yarns arriving from separate yarn cops (not shown) into the operative receiving position in front of the entrance slot of the tunnel 3. Said guiding device comprises a supporting shaft 5 positioned transversely to the longitudinal axis of the tunnel, said shaft being rotatably supportedat one end ina double bearing block 6 mounted on the beam 2. The supporting shaft 5 has four pairs of yarn eyelets, 7a and 7b of each pair being provided at the free end and on the end portion adjacent to the bearing block 6 of the supporting shaft respectively and together constituting a rest place and guide for one of the four different, e.g. differently coloured, weft yarns p, q,- r, s, extending parallel to the supporting shaft. The pairs of yarn eyelets are circumferentially spaced 60 relative to each other. The yarn eyelets 7a are all situated in the same radial plane, whereas the yarn eyelets7b adjacent to the bearing block 6 are slightly offset in the axial direction relative to each other. The yarn eyelets 7b are at their outer ends provided with a yarn keep off rod 8 extending parallel to the supporting shaft 5.

An auxiliary device 9 is provided between the yarn guiding device 4 and the main blowing nozzle 1. The auxiliary device comprises a sector shaped support 10 secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft 11 con- I tained in the vertical central longitudinal plane of the main blowing nozzle 1, said shaft 11 beingrotatably supported in a supporting block 12 carried by the supporting beam 2 and extending partially down through an aperture in the upper flange of said supporting beam. Four auuxiliary blowing nozzles 13, 14, 15 and 16 are provided on the support 10. The pitch between said auxiliary blowing nozzles, each constituting a rest place and guide for one of the four weft yarns p, q, r and s, is 15. A guiding or distributing comb 17, positioned adjacent to the shaft 11 on the support 10, leads the yarns p-s arriving from the yarn eyelets 7b-of the guiding device 4 to the different auxiliary blowing nozzles 13 16. A yarn clamp 18 is provided between the distributing comb 17 and the yarn eyelets 7b and comprises a' movable eylindrical clamp part 19 and a stationary clamp part 20 (vide FIG. 3). The movable clamp part 19 is secured at its ends between two rods 21 which are movable up and down in the direction of the arrow (vide FIG. 3) in guide paths recessed in the side walls of the block 12, controlled by a lever 22, part of which is shown in FIG. 3. The lever 22 is operated by a suitable mechanism to move the clamp part 19 up and down in synchronism with the operation of the weaving machine, at certain times in the operating cycle as hereinafter described. The stationary clamp part 20 is sunk, preferably in the form of-a block of porcelain into the upper surface of the block 12. The yarns p-s arriving from the guiding device 5 move below the movable clamp part 19 to the distributing comb 17.

The auxiliary device 9 may take four different positions relative to the mainblowing nozzle 1 and in each of said positions one of the auxiliary blowing nozzles 13-16 is man operative position aligned with the main blowing nozzle 1. The drawing shows the commuting mechanism formed by the guiding device 4 and the auxiliary device 9 in a position in which the weft yarn p has been broughtby the guiding device into an operative receiving position in front of the tunnel 3 and is about to be launched by the main blowing nozzle 1 via the auxiliary blowing nozzle 13 having its operative presenting position. At this moment a loop of the weft yarn p arriving from its supply cop is already in store in the tunnel 3, while the yarn clamp 18 has just opened and the auxiliary blowing nozzle 13 as well as the main blowing nozzle 1 is supplied, from a suitable source of compressed air, with the air necessary for the presenting and the launching respectively. With the yarn clamp 18 in opened position the yarn p is transported .by the main blowing nozzle 1 through the weaving shed until the loop supply from the tunnel 3 has been used. This part of the weaving cycle takes place in accordance with a principle known per se. In this connection the weft yarn p is cut after said launching movement in known manner by a knife, not shown, positioned in front of the blowing nozzle 1, the yarn clamp 18 isclosed and the yarn supply to the tunner 3 is started again for forming a new loop, e.g., in a known manner the flow of blowing air and/or the suction in the tunnel 3. The mechanism for cutting off each weft thread at the edge of the cloth, in front of the main blowing nozzle 1, is conventional and therefore will not be described, since it forms no part of the present invention. The mechanism for supplying yarn, which is restarted after each closure of the yarn clamp 18, also is conventional and forms no part of the present invention.

Before the stage is reached at which a new weft yarn loop may be formed in the tunnel 3 some time passes, during which the guiding device 4 may be positioned in a different position in case it is desired to have forthe next weft a yarn of a different nature, e.g., having a different colour. Supporting this is the weft yarn r, the guiding device 4 has to be rotated through twice 60 counter clockwise as seen in FIG. 3, in order to position the pair of yarn eyelets guiding the weft yarn r in the operative position relative to the entrance slot of the tunnel 3. In the embodiment according to FIGS. l-3

and 5 such a displacement of the guiding device 4 is ef-- fected via the auxiliary device 9, which has to be rotated before the launching of the weft yarn r instead of the weft yarn p likewise through two steps, in this case through twice 15 clockwise as seen in FIG. 2. The shaft 11 is coupled to the shaft of a stepping motor 23 adapted to rotate the auxiliary device 9 through one, two or three steps in either direction. In order to obtain the correct functioning of the stepping motor each time, the situation of the commuting mechanism has to be sensed and compared witih the situation as desired for the next weft, and the stepping motor has each time to be energized according to the difference in situation as measured in order to adjust it to the desired situation. Therefore the shaft of the stepping motor is coupled (vide the diagram according to FIG. 5) to a potentiometer 24 which dependent on the angular position of the shaft of the stepping motor and therefore of the auxiliary device 9, decreases from a total feeding voltage of 4V to a value of 1V, 2V or 3V and thereby measures the angular position of the auxiliary device with the auxiliary blowing nozzles. The voltage measured in this way is supplied through the conduit 25 to a voltage comparing device 26 supplied at the other end through a conduit 27 with a voltage of 1V, 2V, 3V or 4V corresponding to the desired angular position of the auxiliary device 9. This may likewise be effected by means of a potentiometer but may also take place electronically, dependent on the desired weaving pattern. The difference measured by the voltlage comparing device 26 between both voltages supplied thereto is supplied via an amplifier 28 and a pulse generator 29 to the stepping motor 23, which dependent on the value and the sense of the measured difference, is rotated through one, two or three steps in one or the opposite direction. The rotating movement of the shaft 11 is transmitted by means of a transmitting lever 30 secured to said shaft to a rack 32 which is movable and is guided in a guiding support 31 within the space of the supporting beam 2, said rack resting on a roller 34 rotatably mounted on supporting flanges 33 depending from the web of the supporting beam 2 and being in engagement with a gear 35 which is rotatably mounted between both parts of the bearing block 6 and extends through an aperture 36 in the web of the supporting beam 2. On the other hand the gear 35 is in engagement with a gear 37 mounted on the supporting shaft 5 between both parts of the bearing block 6. The transmission ratio between the lever 30 on the shaft 11 and the gear 37 on the supporting shaft 5 has been selected such that the yarn guiding device 4 is each time rotated through the same amount of steps as the auxiliary device 9.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 6 differs from that according to FIGS. l-3 and 5 only in that the rack 32 constitutes the primary driving element which is driven by the plural air cylinder 38. The stepping motor 23 of the example according to FlGS. 1-3 and 5 thereby is eliminated.

The plural air cylinder 38 in fact comprises two air cylinders 39 and 40 with double action and connected in series in a special manner. The cylinder 40 is fixedly mounted in a support 41, whereas the cylinder 39 is slidable in a guiding support 42 and coupled to the piston rod 40a of the cylinder 40. The piston rod 39a of the slidable air cylinder 39 is connected to the rack 32. The air cylinder 39 may be selectively supplied via the port A1 or via the port A2, whereas the air cylinder 40 may selectively be energized through the port B1 or the port B2. If the stroke of the piston rod 39a of the cylinder 39 is s and the stroke of the piston rod 40a of the air cylinder 40 is 2s then said compounded air cylinders the following four positions for the rack 32 may be effected, dependent on the air supply to the separate air cylinders 39 and 40.

Position Air supply to Total stroke of the ports cylinder device 1 Al and B1 2 A2 and Bi 3 Al and B2 23 4 A2 and B2 3.:

' air cylinder is supplied with air. The control valves A and B may be actuated electrically in a simple manner according to the desired program.

It is to be noted that when the position of the auxiliary device 9 is changed, the yarn portion present in the main blowing nozzle 1 has to be brought together with the relative auxiliary blowing nozzle outside the working sphere of the main blowing nozzle. This is promoted by supplying the relative auxiliary blowing nozzle with air during its rotation from its operative position. The said yarn length is then effectively drawn from the main blowing nozzle under the influence of the airjet leaving the auxiliary blowing nozzle being rotated away. On the contrary the weft yarn end projecting from the auxiliary blowing nozzle to be brought into the operative position has to be brought into the main blowing nozzle. Therefore in the first place the main blowing nozzle is provided with a lateral recess 1a, while the relative yarn length is further blown into the main blowing nozzle under the influence of the air jet leaving the auxiliary blowing nozzle entering its operative position.

As stated hereinbefore, whenever a new loop is to be formed in the tunnel 3, the supply of yarn to the particular yarn that is presented in front of the tunnel 3 is started after closure of the yarn clamp 18, to permit a loop of the presented yarn to be formed in the tunnel 3. In the meantime, no slack is present in the other three strands of yarn, because the supply of each strand of yarn is not started until that particular yarn is presented in front of the tunnel 3 after closure of the yarn clamp 18.

When the powerful jet of air is energized in the main blowing nozzle 1, the yarn clamp 18 is opened as hereinbefore described. The suction required to form a loop in the tunnel 3 may be applied to the tunnel 3 constantly, because the powerful jet employed to deliver the yarn at high speed through the shed will completely overcome the effect of the suction in the tunnel 3, thus drawing the loop of yarn rapidly out of the tunnel 3 as soon as the clamp 18 is opened and the powerful jet of air is energized in the main blowing nozzle 1 Moreover, the relatively minor jets supplied to the auxiliary blowing nozzles 13, 14, 15 and 16 may remain energized at all times, because the supply of each of the yarns p, q, r and s is stopped at all times except when one of the yarns is being used, so that slack can develop only in the yarn which is being used, and the auxiliary blowing nozzles have no effect on each of the yarns except to present the end of a yarn to the main blowing nozzle whenever an auxiliary blowing nozzle is moved into registry with the main blowing nozzle. As hereinbefore described, the yarn clamp 18 is opened at the moment when the selected weft yarn has been presented to the main blowing nozzle and at the moment when the main blowing nozzle is energized.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown. It is within the scope of the invention to apply thereto many modifications, particularly in connection with the driving mode of the yarn guiding device 4 and the auxiliary device 9.

We claim 1. ln a'weaving machine, an apparatus for selectively preparing, storing and presenting to a blowing nozzle any one of a plurality of different weft yarns, comprising a blowing nozzle, 21 storing device for drawing and temporarily holding an intermediate length of one of the weft yarns, a guiding device having separate means for supporting in a rest position an intermediate portion of each of the weft yarns, which is selectively movable into a plurality of positions in each of which an intermediate portion of one of the weft yarns is presented to the storing device, an auxiliary device for selectively presenting the end of any one of the weft yarns to the blowing nozzle, which has means for receiving the end of each of the weft yarns in a rest position, and which is selectively movable into a plurality of positions in each of which the end of one of the weft yarns is presented to the blowing nozzle, and mechanism connecting the guiding device to the auxiliary device to cause the auxiliary device to present the end of a weft yarn to the blowing nozzle when the guiding device is moved into a position to present an intermediate portion of thesame yarn to the storing device.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the guiding device comprises a rotatably mounted supporting shaft having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rest places extending along generat ing lines, for the different weft yarns, while the auxiliary device is constituted by a sector shaped support, rotatable with a shaft and having a plurality of auxiliary blowing nozzles constituting rest places for the different weft yarns of the auxiliary device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the supporting shaft of the guiding device and the sector shaped support for the auxiliary nozzles are each reciprocally movable between two extreme angular positions.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the rest places around the supporting shaft of the guiding device each comprise a pair of yarn eyelets positioned along a generating line, each at one end of the supporting shaft, a common yarn clamp is arranged to receive the yarn from the yarn eyelets situated at the yarn discharge end of the supporting shaft, and a distributing comb is positioned adjacent to the shaft of the sector' shaped support for receiving the yarn from such clamp.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the shafts of the guiding device and of the auxiliary device are coupled by means of a gear mounted on one of said shafts and cooperating with a rack coupled to an arm secured to the other shaft, the rack and the second shaft being controllable by a stepwise moving device.

' is stationary.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the stepwise moving device is a stepping motor acting on the shaft of the auxiliary device. 

1. In a weaving machine, an apparatus for selectively preparing, storing and presenting to a blowing nozzle any one of a plurality of different weft yarns, comprising a blowing nozzle, a storing device for drawing and temporarily holding an intermediate length of one of the weft yarns, a guiding device having separate means for supporting in a rest position an intermediate portion of each of the weft yarns, which is selectively movable into a plurality of positions in each of which an intermediate portion of one of the weft yarns is presented to the storing device, an auxiliary device for selectively presenting the end of any one of the weft yarns to the blowing nozzle, which has means for receiving the end of each of the weft yarns in a rest position, and which is selectively movable into a plurality of positions in each of which the end of one of the weft yarns is presented to the blowing nozzle, and mechanism connecting the guiding device to the auxiliary device to cause the auxiliary device to present the end of a weft yarn to the blowing nozzle when the guiding device is moved into a position to present an intermediate portion of the same yarn to the storing device.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the guiding device comprises a rotatably mounted supporting shaft having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rest places extending along generating lines, for the different weft yarns, while the auxiliary device is constituted by a sector shaped support, rotatable with a shaft and having a plurality of auxiliary blowing nozzles constituting rest places for the different weft yarns of the auxiliary device.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the supporting shaft of the guiding device and the sector shaped support for the auxiliary nozzles are each reciprocally movable between two extreme angular positions.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the rest places around the supporting shaft of the guiding device each comprise a pair of yarn eyelets positioned along a generating line, each at one end of the supporting shaft, a common yarn clamp is arranged to receive the yarn from the yarn eyelets situated at the yarn discharge end of the supporting shaft, and a distributing comb is positioned adjacent to the shaft of the sector shaped support for receiving the yarn from such clamp.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the shafts of the guiding device and of the auxiliary device are coupled by means of a gear mounted on one of said shafts and cooperating with a rack coupled to an arm secured to the other shaft, the rack and the second shaft being controllable by a stepwise moving device.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the stepwise moving device comprises two piston-cylinder devices with double action, connected in series, each controlled by a corresponding two position valve, the piston of one device being coupled to the rack, and the cylinder of said device being coupled to the piston of the second device, the cylinder of which is stationary.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the stepwise moving device is a stepping motor acting on the shaft of the auxiliary device. 